Overall Member Rating

First time Celebrity

We booked our cruise over a year ago. I had the philosophy that an inside cabin was the best. How much time do you really spend in your cabin, anyway? We booked an inside cabin and our friends booked a veranda. Fortunately for us, priced dropped and we could upgrade to a guarantee veranda for a lower price than we originally paid for interior. Done. Then Celebrity posted a deal for Buy one get one half price for the Aqua Class. Fortunately, there was not a restriction to new bookings, so we changed our reservation to Aqua Class. Still paying less than our original interior rate, we rebooked to Aqua Class. Boy did that ever change my mind about cruising. We LOVED the extra space in the shower, and the spa shower head and spa products. We also received spa slippers, a mesh backpack-type bag and a beach bag. The room contained a sofa large enough for two to sit and have room to spare. The balcony was not as large as a Veranda room's, but it still had room for two chairs that More
reclined and a small table. I loved the nearby relaxation lounge with complementary orange water and cucumber water and hot tea station. The best part of Aqua Class was dining in Blu. We could go at our own time, and we were greeted daily by the maitre d and the assistant maitre d. We like to dine early, so we were waiting as the doors opened each night. This had an added advantage, because we always got a window seat. This was especially nice because the ship sailed away from port most nights while we were eating.
I enjoyed Celebrity's glass blowing show and the entertainment. The Cirque-style show should not be missed. Excellent.
Cruise Director, Patty, was calm. No corny jokes, just pleasant, welcoming and informative. She also surprised us with a very nice singing voice. I preferred her to the loud, party style cruise directors we have had on many cruises.
Embarkation and Debarkation were the easiest I have ever experienced.
Ocean View Cafe had a nice variety. Alas, no soft-serve ice cream station. However, they had an ice cream station and they scooped many flavors each day and provided many toppings. I also found bread pudding available each day.
We enjoyed having tea and bottled water brought to our room every day. That was a nice advantage.
I am sure I would have enjoyed Celebrity just as much in an interior room. But now that I have experienced Aqua Class, it will be hard to go back. Less

Cabin review: AQ1518

Very close to spa area. Directly below the treadmills. We could hear it thumping regularly until about 11:00 PM, but it was a muffled, regular sound and easy to tune out. Not much hall noise. Low traffic area. Close to the relaxation room. Balcony ponded water every port day when they washed ship.

Port and Shore Excursions

Booked through our travel agent. They gave a free excursion, so we took the one that took us to Athens, stopped by the arena on the way for pictures. We had the option to ascend the Acropolis for a fee, or have free time in the Plaka. Had been to the acropolis before so we opted for the Plaka. Enjoyed lunch at an outdoor cafe' serving shaved pork. Did a little jewelry shopping.

City Tour

City Tour

The tour was 1 day and 1/2 day. "Complete Istanbul" We were told over and over to be sure to have knees and shoulders covered for entrance in the blue mosque. However the tour description led us to believe that the mosque would be done on day 1. So we dressed with that in mind on day 1 and found out later that the mosque would not be until day 2. That was my only complaint. They had blue fabric wraps at the entrance. Many people tied one around the waist so that knees were covered and one around shoulders.
Enjoyed all the sites. Day one was exhausting, but I am glad we got to see so many things: Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Spice Market, Carpet Demonstration, Underground Cistern, Grand Bazaar.
Would have loved more time at the spice market. Found many of the same type shops as found in the Grand Bazaar. The shop owners were not as pushy as I expected. They wanted to engage you in conversation. My favorite pick-up line was,"I need your money." Never pay full asking price. Start by offering about half and bargain from there. When you reach your lowest offer and they don't counter offer, say no thanks and walk away. If they don't come down to your price, then you know they have reached as low as they will go. Note: If you want pashminas and little souvenirs, you can find the same things at Kusadasi (Ephesus) They have their own grand bazaar and they were cheaper.
The currency is Turkish Lira. They will take dollars but give change back in Lira. I tried to always pay exact. When buying Turkish Delight, they charged $19.00. I had them bag up $1.00 worth of cashews rather than have Lira.
Note: The Turkish Delight is available everywhere in Istanbul. I enjoyed trying several varieties and then having them create a box of assorted flavors I liked. He said it would stay fresh 6 months. Then after it was boxed, they vacuum sealed the box. We bought some pre-boxed flavors, too. When I got home, I found that the pre-boxed flavors don't have as many pieces as you would expect and a lot of the powder coating. They weren't quite as fresh tasting as the ones we had boxed ourselves.

Ephesus

Took the Ephesian Modus Vivandi tour. Included in our tour was the terrace houses. If you have to pay the extra money to see this, DO IT. Unbelievable what they have uncovered and the restoration going on. The mosaics are amazing.

Our boat docked at the pier, so we had to pay $7.00 per person (round trip all day) for a Celebrity shuttle into Mykonos. The shuttles ran continuously. DO NOT Walk to the town. The road is narrow and has no shoulder. I think there is a free shuttle, but I never saw it. If it does come, it is not as often as the Celebrity provided shuttles. The little streets are so narrow, and people still drive small cars and motorcycles right through the pedestrians. We went on a search for the public bus station to take a bus to Paradise Beach. The bus was $1,60 Euro one way. Cheap, but it took us an hour to find the bus station. Shop owners did not understand English well enough to give us directions and signage was not readily available. If I had it to do again, I would have seen how much a taxi would charge, and then take the bus back. We enjoyed the beach. Rented two chairs under a fixed umbrella with a table for $6.00 per person. Sand was golden and water was pretty clear. Lots of places to eat right at the beach, and they had restroom and changing facilities, too.

Amalfi Coast

Long bus ride on narrow winding roads. We sat on the driver's side of the bus. If you don't get car sick, and want to see the views better, be sure to sit on the passenger side of the bus. Really enjoyed our stops in Sorrento for shopping, our stop for lunch, and the stop in Amalfi. Walked up the 60 steps to the Cathedral of Amalfi. If you enjoy cathedrals, this one is a must see. The admission was low. And the crypt of St Andrew was beautiful.

Oia Wine Tasting

The buses were comfortable. We had ample time in Oia and at the Winery. Really nice pictures of the blue domed churches and the city. The drop off in Fira was great because we could spend as much time as we wanted before riding the cable car down.